By john



A. LuvEzEY.

1v. Fono. eulmnmu.

RAT TRAP.

APPLICATlON FILED FEB. I9, i920.

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a A. /vezey J JM@ Fowl, @amaba UNITED STATES PATlil ALBERT ILIVEZEY, 0FGRINNEJL, IOWA., BY JOHN' FORD, GUARDIAN.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that ALBERT Lrvnznr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grinnell, in the county of Poweshiek and State of lowa, hasinvented certain new and use` ttul improvements in Rat-lliapa and thatl, doi-rn Fono, duly appointed guardian oit said ALBERT lirvnznr, dohereby declare the 'f ollowing to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as 'will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in traps particularly to trapstor mice, rats and the like.

rlhe primary object is to provide a simple and practical trap which cannot be operated by an animal from the outside and is extremely simple inconstruction.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention resides incertain novel ifeatures of construction and the combination andarrangement of parts as will be more itully described and claimed.

l attain these objects by the construction illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in whichm Figure l, is a pmspeetive view, withparts broken away to show interior structuri' Fig. 2, is averticallongitudinal section ot the trap; and

l1 3, is a sectional view taken on the line lm-3 oit' Fig. 2.

iimilar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Reference is new had to the drawing in which the numeral l designates abox hav` ing one open end. llllhile the drawing illustrates the trap ascomprising` separate side walls, bottom and top, it is to be understoodthat I may well use a hollow log by cutting it into suitable lengths andattaching the parts about to be described. f

its shown in F 2, the top of the box l is cut away to permit raisingthegate 2, which slides vertically between two pairs of spaced guides 3,secured to the side walls l of the box.

A fulcrum bar 5 is disposed adjacent the inner face oi the gate 2 havingits ends secured to the side walls t by any suitable las teningelements. The fulcrum bar is spaced above the floor a suitable distanceand is provided in its upper tace with a groove 6 which extends the fullwidth of said bar and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 192i.

Application filed February 19, 1920. Serial No|` 359,905.

is disposed in parallel relation to the side walls.

`rlhe gate 9. is provided near its lower end with a shoulder which maybe formed in any suitable manner, but is preferably formed by driving anail 7 through the gate from the outside, and allowing a small portionof the inner end to project beyond the inner face of said gate asillustrated in Fig` 2. The portion of the nail remaining on the outsideof the gate, serves as a handle tor lifting or raising the gate. j

For the purpose of holding the gate in raised position, l'. provide ananimal actuated trip rod 8, one end portion oil which rests in thegroove 6; the extreme end 9 of said portion being flattened to takeunder the inner end of the nail 7 which `lorms the aforesaid shoulder.rlhe rear end of the rod 8 is bent downwardly to form a trigger l0 whoseend is bent rearwardly in parallel relation to the trigger rod 8 andthen upwardly at a rightangle forming a hook 1l upon which is supporteda bait l2. In operation, the gate may be raised t0 the position shown inFig. 2 by means of the nail. The flattened end 9 is then positionedbeneath the shoulder on the gate, and due to the length of the tripdisposed on the side of the iulcrum bar opposite the gate, the weight ofthe rear end ofthe bar will retain the gate in raised or open position.llVhen a rat, mouse or other animal enters the trap and begins to eatthe bait, the rod will be moved and will shift the end 9 from engagementwith the shoulder, thereby permitting the gate normally to close bygravity and trap the animal.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with theaccompanying` drawing, the construction and operation or' the inventionwill be understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form proportion and minor details of constructionmay be made without departing trom the principle or sacrificing any ofthe advantages ot the claimed invention.

lt will be further understood that in order to make the trap moreeffective it may be entirely covered with straw, hay or the like or by asack, and only a small entrance opening left in such covering for theadmission or the animal.

l claim:

l. An animal trap comprising a hollow body open at one end, agravity-lowered gate slidably mounted on said body to close this openend, a shoulder on the inner face of said gate adjacent the lowerV edgeof the latter, a transverse ibar disposed in the body near the open endthereof, said bar having a notch `formed in its upper face constitutinga seat, a trip rod resting loosely in said seat at a point intermediatethe middle and one end of the bar, said one end of the latter beingflattened and engaged vwith the aforesaid shoulder, the opposite end ofthe rod extending to a point near the opposite end oit' the body, and abait hook depending from the last namedend of the rod, the bait, hook,

, and rod counterbalancng and holding said gate in open position.

2. In a trap, a hollow body having one open end, a gute sliduble toclose said end, said gate having a shoulder thereon, .1 transversefulcrum bar spaced above the floor near said gate with its ends securedto the side Walls of said body, said bur having a notch in its upperface, a trip rod having one end flattened for engagement with saidshoulder to retain the gate in open position, said tri p rod beingfulcrumed in said notch, and a de pending hook on the inner end of saidtri p rod, extending to a point near the floor to receive the bait.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto se( my hand.

JOHN FORD, Guardian 0f Albert Lindsey

